A Fascinating Storm?

Below is the text of the official Environment Canada weather bulletin for our current storm.

Note the highlighted areas. (My comments are in brackets)

I think that all news reports should be written with this kind of style.

DJW

Warnings

City of Hamilton
5:04 AM EST Friday 19 December 2008
Winter storm warning for
City of Hamilton continued

Major winter storm with heavy snow and blowing snow today.

This is a warning that dangerous winter weather conditions are imminent or occurring in these regions. Monitor weather conditions..Listen for updated statements.

With the first 10 cm snowfall now fading into memory (ahh the memories)..The second in a fascinating series of significant snowstorms (a fascinating storm? This guy needs a hobby) is bearing down on southern Ontario from Colorado. The Colorado low has formed as expected is racing (isn’t racing illegal in Ont? Arrest the storm!) northeast to central Ohio later today then into Pennsylvania tonight. A rapidly expanding and intensifying area of snow over the US midwest into Michigan has just moved into Windsor early this morning and will cruise northeast into the Golden Horseshoe between 7 and 8 AM then east down Highway 401 (I had always suspected the weather took the fast route, but why not the 407?) into eastern Ontario all the way to Kingston by this afternoon.

The snow will become quite heavy at times as the low gets closer. Latest indications keep any risk of a changeover to ice pellets or freezing rain in Essex and Kent counties from Windsor to Chatham and south to Lake Erie. Otherwise only snow is expected for everyone else. Snowfall rates of 2 to 4 cm per hour are expected at times as the heaviest areas of snow move through.

A general snowfall of 15 to 20 centimetres is likely across the district by this evening. Areas around the west end of Lake Ontario from downtown Toronto through Mississauga to Hamilton and eventually Niagara will get some help in the cold northeasterly winds off of Lake Ontario boosting snowfall amounts to near 25 cm in quite a few locales. It is not entirely out of the question for one or two locales to get up to 30 cm should an embedded lake effect snowsquall develop over Lake Ontario today as suggested by some of the computer models.

Whiteout conditions from blowing snow caused by strong east to northeast winds of 40 gusting to 60 km/h will be a significant problem with this winter storm adding to its nasty white bite. (and all those people who use those little strips to make their bite whiter are jealous)

This mornings rush hour in and around the Golden Horseshoe may start out with no snow but conditions will start to deteriorate rapidly as the snow moves in after 7 AM. However..Heavy snow and blowing snow throughout the day will likely make the afternoon commute particularly difficult and slow.

Travelers should adjust travel plans accordingly. If travel is necessary one should plan for much extra time to reach the planned destination. Driving conditions will deteriorate quickly and become dangerous due to whiteout conditions from both blowing snow and heavy snow.

DJ here…this is definitely more interesting than Storm, Snow, Lots of it.

Happy Shoveling!